It would seem that many things have changed during the time that I have been away from the World Of Warcraft. I’ve got some more grey hairs, I’ve started to make strange noises when attempting to stand up from a sitting position, and the amount of time it takes me to empty my bladder in the morning is beyond a joke. Also, it would seem, everything I can remember about WoW is now null and void. Where the hell do I begin?

First of all, the world has gone mental. Stepping into Ogrimmar for the first time in years was a massive shock to the system. Everything, up to and including the architecture, is completely different. Not that this is a bad thing.

Mailboxes are everywhere, trainers are easier to find and everything feels fresh and new. Seeing all the high level players flying around on their various mounts (of which, it seems, there are loads of different ones now) along with the zeppelins constantly coming in to dock, before leaving for distant lands, really does make Ogrimmar feel like a capital city. It’s not all good though, as I found when I went to the auction house.

One of the first things I like to do before starting my levelling adventure is to make sure I have some bags on me. This allows me to stay out in the field longer, and also allows me to earn more money by letting me hold more trash drops. At an early level, the best way to get some bags (if your not a member of a guild) is to stop by the Auction House. I had a couple of gold jingling in my pocket, so I thought that I would be able to at least get a few. WRONG!

The prices that items are fetching on the AH are, frankly, shocking. 40 gold for a stack of linen cloth? 60 gold for a stack of wool cloth? How about 500 gold for 16 slot bags? After picking myself up off the floor and chatting to a few people on the server, it would seem that gold is very easy to make at the higher levels due to a massive increase in the amount of daily quests available (a daily quest is an activity which can be repeated every 24 hours in exchange for a decent amount of gold). Therefore, low level items fetch huge prices.

This is great for high level players wanting to make even more money, but incredibly bad for new players who are completely shut off from the market during their low levels. After picking up my provisions – mining for the stam boost and engineering because, well, I want to build my own helicopter – I decided it was time to head to the Barrens and begin levelling in earnest.

OH GOD WHAT HAPPENED! The Barrens is, essentially, fucked. It seems ‘The sSattering’ has destroyed the barrens, turning some areas into massive lakes and overs into rivers of fire. My first thought? This. Is. Awesome.

As I quested through the area, it honestly felt like a new game. Everything just fells better. The quests flow really well, I was never stuck on where to go thanks in part to the new quest log system which feels a lot like the old Tom Tom add-on – and, well, it’s just a wonderful experience.

Levelling is also very fast, which is pushing me to keep playing longer than I wanted too. One hour turns into three hours without even realising.

At this point, I can honestly say that I’m really excited to hit level 20 and carry on my questing to other parts of the world to see what has happened there.